Bridal makeup can be a tricky business: you want to glow, but not shine; you want to feel your best, but also look great in pictures; and you want your makeup to last, rather than melt halfway through the big day. Here, Vogue brushes up on the top do’s and don’ts of bridal makeup, plus three fresh ideas for your wedding day nails.

1. Do have a trial run before the big day

Charlotte Tilbury—the makeup magician behind Kate Moss and Miranda Kerr’s bridal looks—recommends meeting your makeup artist ahead of the wedding to avoid any surprises. “Meet for a consultation to discuss the look you want to achieve, so you feel confident it will be right on the big day,” she says. If you don’t have a makeup artist and are doing your own makeup, you should still have a run-through of what your makeup will look like ahead of time.

2. Don’t totally change your look on your wedding day

“Your wedding day is the time to enhance your natural beauty to feel like the most beautiful, confident version of yourself,” says Tilbury. “Be careful of experimenting with new and bold colours on your wedding day. For example, specific colours such as purple can suit some—especially brown or green eyes—more than others, whereas neutral shades like chocolate, bronze and copper span all eye colours, never date and suit all complexions.”

3. Don’t forgo primer

“Bridal makeup should stay in place all day, from the ceremony to the reception,” says Tilbury. But that is easier said than done, particularly with emotions running high and so much attention on you. “Primers in your skincare guarantee your makeup lasts longer,” advises Amy Conway, senior PRO artist Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

4. Do get glowing skin

“Dewy, glowing skin is perfect for bridal beauty and one of my most requested makeup looks,” says Tilbury, emphasising the power of prep. She begins with a double cleanse using her Goddess Cleansing Ritual followed by an Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask, Charlotte’s Magic Cream and a primer.

“To create perfect-looking skin that is instantly illuminated with a dewy finish, mix my Light Wonder foundation together with my complexion-boosting Hollywood Flawless Filter,” Tilbury advises. Starting from the centre of the face, gently buff and blend outwards, only applying where a little extra coverage is needed. “I use my fingers a lot because the warmth of your hands helps blend it in.”

5. Do make your eyes pop

6. Do be generous with blusher

“Against a white or ivory outfit, use more blush than normal to avoid looking washed out in photos,” advises Conway. Her advice? Be generous with your blusher. “I use blue-ish pink tones on the cheek, like Pale Pink Blush by Bobbi Brown, to instantly brighten the skin.”

7. Don’t skip the lip liner

“With flash photography, it is the definition in our features that we can often lose,” notes Conway. “Use a lip liner in the same shade as your lip colour to softly define and make your pout pop a little more than usual.”

“To enhance the longevity of any lipstick, I always use my Lip Cheat lip liner first as a stencil, ensuring lip colour lasts and to create the effect of fuller lips with a flawless finish,” adds Tilbury. Her nude-pink Pillow Talk, she says, is a suit-all shade.

8. Do layer up long-lasting products

“Long-wear gel eyeliner—like Bobbi Brown’s Chocolate Shimmer Ink—doesn't budge and is really easy to apply,” says Conway. “And waterproof mascara is a must on your wedding day! Apply it over a base, like Bobbi Brown’s Smokey Eye mascara, which boosts the fullness, volume, length and curl [in a way] that a waterproof just can't [on its own],” explains Conway. “Layer your waterproof mascara on top to act as a raincoat.”

9. Do be prepared for shine

Once your makeup is finished, set it with powder—like Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish powder—using a soft sculpting brush on the T-zone, down the nose, chin and forehead.

“Keep cheekbones free of powder so that they remain dewy-looking and catch the light,” says Tilbury. The powder will help lock in your bridal makeup and combat shine later in the day.

10. Don’t forget about touch-up essentials

Conway recommends brides leave touch-up products at the venue or with bridesmaids. “My must-haves are Skin Foundation Stick and Sheer Finish Pressed Powder by Bobbi Brown, and a good lippy.”